Timothy Stevenson was awakened to a startling scene. He said the fire could have happened to anyone.

“You know anything can cause a fire, especially during the summer,” Stevenson said.

“I just make sure to put out my charcoal and stuff,” he said. “I’m just really glad everybody’s okay.”

A family safe, but a devastating loss to what fire crews anticipate will be a total loss.

When fire crews found out the family dog was still inside they rushed to find him. Two hours trapped in the dining room, and Zeus was in full survival mode. Shaken, firefighters reunited him with his family.

“Animals are persistent little things, so it’s pretty awesome.”

A bright spot for such a devastating day for the family.

“A lot of people come and go from this neighborhood just because a lot of us are military and it’s always band of brothers/band of sisters,” Stevenson said.